If the reports are true, the US will ban the Netzah Yehuda Battalion from receiving US military supplies or training. The battalion has been accused of human rights violations in the West Bank, according to The Telegraph .
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 19 that he would soon reveal the results of an investigation using the Leahy Act, which prohibits military assistance to foreign security forces that violate human rights.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on April 21 that he would oppose sanctions against any Israeli military unit, according to Reuters. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that sanctioning an IDF unit and its soldiers "sets a dangerous precedent," according to The Telegraph .
Meanwhile, the IDF said on April 21 that it was not aware of any US sanctions against the Netzah Yehuda battalion. "Regarding the information about sanctions against the battalion, the IDF is not aware of this issue... The IDF is working and will continue to work to investigate any unusual events in a factual and legal manner," the IDF stressed.
Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda battalion patrol near the Israel-Gaza border on October 20, 2023.
The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is now deployed to the Gaza front, after months on the Syrian border, according to The Times of Israel . Previously, the Netzah Yehuda Battalion had been almost permanently stationed in the West Bank, where its soldiers have been involved in a series of violent and controversial incidents.
In a statement, the IDF affirmed that the Netzah Yehuda battalion "is currently participating in the fighting in the Gaza Strip with courage and professionalism, while upholding the values and spirit of the IDF as well as the principles of international law."
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"Over the past several years, the battalion's soldiers have been at the core of round-the-clock combat operations aimed at maintaining the security of the people of the State of Israel," the IDF stressed.
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